Gem turns 2!!

Gem at 9 weeks

Gem turns 2 years old today... I can't believe that she is already 2. As the old cliche' says... Where has the time gone? In the last 2 years, I've learned a great deal about Gem. She has made me a better, more patient trainer. I found out that in the beginning, I pushed her too hard and too fast to learn what I wanted her to learn. This caused Gem to stop trying when she wasn't right the first time, disconnect from me, and relieve her own stress by grabbing a toy and running away. It got so bad that I thought she might do better with someone else. I wanted her to be happy.

Gem at 2 years

So, I had to figure out how to teach Gem without
overwhelming her. I had to go back to square one
and begin anew. She is soft... very soft. She is still immature, but is slowly growing up. She likes to think about things and doesn't readily offer behaviors. I had to teach her that it was okay to guess and even if she wasn't always correct, it was okay to keep trying. She's gotten much better since I came to the realization that she needed me to teach her differently. It isn't because she is a female. It is because of who she is and how she learns. We have made leaps and bounds of progress since I changed my tactics with her. She still doesn't like to be wrong, but she now understands that it's okay to be wrong and try again. She still doesn't offer multiple behaviors, but she IS trying and she is much more relaxed with guessing incorrectly.

She loves to "perch". Now that I am teaching her a 2 on 2 off behavior for the dogwalk and teeter, she is learning that she needs to use her back feet. Her first try was amusing. She put her front feet on the board, smiled and wagged her tail. Ta da! Oops... not quite what I wanted. Instead of her shutting down, I lured her into position and clicked. I could see her wheels turning. I tossed a piece of cheese away from the board and she stepped over it, placing her back feet on it. I clicked and treated her for getting it right. She was happy, relaxed and having a blast. I don't drill her. She does a few repetitions and we move on to something new or something she already knows. This is what works for us.

I am looking forward to someday competing with her in agility. I had to give myself a reality check when I started seeing dogs younger then her competing this year. Well, I don't have equipment in my yard, I work another job, so our time will come. It may not be for another year or more and that's okay. I know we will still go through learning curves, but I hope when we do start competing, she will be mature and hopefully won't go through the baby dog stuff I see with other dogs. I know I will make mistakes. However, I know that we are building a wonderful relationship and that she is having fun while she is learning. That is the most important thing to me.

Happy Birthday to our little Gem! We love you so much and we are so happy to be your family. Thank you Vickie for choosing her for us. She is so loved!!









Losses

Piper

Recently, over the last few days and weeks, quite a few dogs have been lost, most due to illness or old age or even both. In truth, it scares me. Each birthday brings me closer to my own loss. Our dogs are on earth for such a short time. My goal is to make their lives as wonderful as possible while they are here. I have always prided myself in finding what the dogs love to do, and pursuing it with gusto. Piper's joy is agility. I would love to see him be able to do agility until the day he dies, but I know at some time, I will have to retire him from the sport he so dearly loves. After a friend lost his litterbrother at the age of 8 to cancer, every day with Piper is precious. At this time, I can't imagine my life without him in it... his smile, his snoring, his hugs, his snuggles, his woo-wooing, his zest for life. I just can't imagine him not being here.

His soul his old and wise beyond his years... His eyes are the very mirror into that soul. He has the most honest eyes I have ever encountered. Piper doesn't lie. When he is happy, the world knows it. When he is unhappy, the world knows that too. He tells it like it is. If he loves you, he does it with his whole self. He has never met anyone he hasn't loved. He's charming. Even people who don't like dogs seem to like Piper. In that, he reminds me of the late, great Kastle... Kastle could charm just about anybody. Piper is the same way.

Most people, if they are lucky, have one once-in-a-lifetime dog. I have been blessed to say that each and every one of my dogs has the distinction of being that. Each dog has their own personality and temperament. Each dog has their own way of being in my heart. Each one of them is my heart dog. Some are a bit more special than others, but no more loved. Each dog has a different purpose in life. Each dog is here for a different reason. I do believe that dogs come in to our lives for a special purpose and reason. If we open our hearts and minds to the lessons they have to teach, we are raised above being normal humans. We are the chosen that have the unconditional love that only a dog can give.

Each day is a gift. Each step to the line is a gift. I cherish every single moment. My heart is heavy for my friends that have endured recent losses of their dogs. I hope they are able to see through the pain of the loss and bring forward the sweet memories. I hope that I can remember that when it is my turn. Until then, I will so completely enjoy every minute of every day with these special sentient beings...

Age is only a number...

Piper's 1st perfect CPE weekend

Piper will be 10 in April. I've noticed that he is slowing down, but still keen for the game of agility. I have been thinking about retiring him from agility and letting him do rally or another less strenuous retirement sport. Somehow, I don't think he would put up with my decision. This past weekend, he earned his very first perfect CPE weekend, qualifying 10 of 10 runs with 6 firsts, 2 seconds and 2 thirds running in Veterans. He is jumping 16" in most venues, with a rare venture into 20" or 22". He qualified for CPE Nationals at the 20" jump height and since he is only running a few runs a day over several days, I'm okay with him competing there at that height. He still needs one more Performance Relay Pairs Q towards his LAA Bronze in USDAA where he must jump 22". Since it's only 1/2 of a course, I'm okay with this too. I see how comfortable and happy he is running at 16".

I worry about him, I won't lie. He gets regular chiropractic care, acupuncture and massage therapy too. These people are integral in keeping not only him, but all of the dogs healthy. They all know them probably as well, or close to it, as I do. I worry that his rear will weaken like I've seen so many dogs do and he won't physically be able to play agility any longer. My "team" thinks I worry too much. I probably do. These dogs are here for such a short time, that I want to make sure that I do everything possible to keep them happy and healthy while they are here on earth.

As long as Piper wants to play, we will do just that. Ribbons are nice, but his smile, wagging tail and woo-wooing is the best reward for me. There may come a day that he is no longer able to play the game, but I hope that day is far away. Until then, we'll just keep having fun.